J. Craig White

With profound sadness, we are announcing the passing of J. Craig White, 89, on Monday morning January 17, 2022.  Craig, a longtime resident of the Feeding Hills section of Agawam and more recently of Longmeadow, was born in Youngstown OH, the son of James L. and Minnie Mae White.  When Craig was very young, he and his mother moved to Monaca PA, where he went through the local school system.  Craig graduated from Geneva College in Beaver Falls PA with a B.S. in Chemistry and recently reminisced about helping to pay his way through college by working on the "labor gang" at the Jones and Loughlin steel mill.  In 1955 Craig moved to Springfield MA to begin his career at Monsanto Company. He worked in the Technical Service Laboratory for much of his career and received several awards over the years for his commitment, proficiency, and technical achievements in customer service work.  Craig retired in 1996 after many years of service. Although he didn't think of himself as a "joiner", Craig recently considered attending a discussion group on "Grief and Loss", saying that he could talk about missing his longtime friends Richard J. (Dick) Forest and Theodore E. (Ted) Donais.  Craig and Dick became friends when they were both teaching Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes at the former St. Mary's Church in East Springfield. They sought to make their class discussions more interesting and relevant by doing such things as showing well-chosen excerpts from movies that presented moral dilemmas.  In 1968 Craig and his first wife Mary moved to Feeding Hills, where he continued teaching CCD for several years at Sacred Heart Church.  Craig and Ted were longtime work colleagues and carpooled to and from work together for many years. Craig enjoyed photography, container gardening, and reading, especially mystery series with quirky main characters and colorful locations. He once said that if he had a book in his hands, he was happy. He also enjoyed day trips to Boston and to the Berkshires and walks in Robinson and Granville State Parks and Stanley Park in Westfield.  Craig is survived by his wife Muriel, and they both treasured their friendships with Dick and Carol Forest and with Ted and Ruth Donais.  Craig is also survived by the many Forest family members who considered him to be an honorary uncle.  A Funeral Mass will be held at Mary, Mother of Hope Church, 840 Page Boulevard, Springfield at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, January 29, 2022.  Due to Covid concerns, physical distancing and masking are required and there will be no reception before or after the Mass.  A Celebration of Life will be held for Craig at a later date.  Baskets will be provided at the church entrances for anyone wishing to share a note with memories of Craig, reflections, or condolences. In lieu of flowers, for those wishing to make a memorial contribution, please consider Doctors Without Borders USA,  PO Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030 or online at  doctorswithoutborders.org  or your choice of charity.  Forastiere /Smith Funeral & Cremation, 220 North Main St, East Longmeadow is entrusted with final arrangements.  Please visit www.forastierefuneralhome.com for online condolences.